The Seeds of Heavenly Flowers
by ErykahMiszti
Summary: The Master takes Lucy to Utopia. Spoilers for Season 3


Title: The Seeds of Heavenly Flowers

Author: Erykah Miszti

Summary: The Master takes Lucy to Utopia

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Utopia through LOTFL

Lucy stared wide-eyed at the "city" belching flames and fumes out into the starless sky. "Toclafane" hovered and bustled over the scene like a black cloud against the artificial red glow.

"You did all this?" Lucy gasped in horrified fascination.

The Master giggled and bounced on the balls of his feet next to her. They were standing on a high stone ridge overlooking a valley that might easily have been an industrial vision of Hell, with all its terrifying sights and noxious smells. Screams rose occasionally in the distance but were cut off almost as soon as they began. The childish laughter of the "Toclafane" drifted up to them, adding to the surrealism of it all.

"Oh, I wish I could claim credit!" The Master exclaimed and turned to grin sheepishly at her, but she wasn't looking at him. Her gaze never left the valley.

He moved so that he was behind her and could take her lovingly into the cocoon of his arms. She retreated into them, finding comfort where she could, but her expression never changed and she barely even blinked.

"You did this all on your own." He said softly into her ear. "Not you personally, but you Humans…" He nipped her ear gently before continuing. "Realising that the food wouldn't last, the Humans on this world came up with a new way of surviving." He pointed to the writhing black cloud. "It was less organic, so much more efficient and better equipped to survive." He grinned. "But they went one better than that… because they, being Human, had higher ideals than merely their own personal survival. They liked what they'd become and decided they knew best how to ensure the survival of the whole Human race."

The Master stepped back from her and turned her to face him. She moved reluctantly but finally lifted her confused eyes up to meet his. He smiled tenderly and cupped her face with his hands.

"They sent out a message across the empty skies; a message for all the other Humans left starving and struggling in the dark." His eyes were ablaze with pride. "Come to Utopia!" He grinned again. "Come to Utopia!" He kissed her but immediately drew back and stepped away to look out over the valley.

Lucy stared at him now.

"There was no malice. No evil intention. They believed it. This…" He pointed out at the world below. "…this IS their Utopia: a place to survive, a place better than the dark, bleak one out there." He gestured upwards. "Here was hope for all Humanity that you would continue." He looked tenderly over at her. "And so they came, from all over what's left of the universe, unable to resist a call to the promise of a better world. And here they were converted to a new way of being. Some struggled and kicked against it." Almost on cue a scream bit the air and quickly was silenced again. He winced theatrically but then went back to his story. "Most accepted it quietly, and, more than you would think, went to it willingly once it was explained to them."

He came back over to her.

"You're beautiful." He told her sincerely. "Your species has such a beautiful will to survive, such a willingness to adapt, to do anything just to continue to exist. You don't deserve to disappear with the dying of the night." He pointed out at the valley again. "They've come so far… and they still keep kicking…" He smiled ironically. "…well, they would if they still had legs."

"This is Humanity?" Lucy asked on a soft breath, as if unable to take it all in. "Humanity did this to itself? We did this to each other… willingly?"

"Yes!" He breathed enthusiastically, with a look on his face that said he thought it was wonderful.

Lucy's mind broke sometime around then and the pieces scattered to the winds of that terrible place. The Master could see it in her eyes the moment it happened. The life sucked out of them in a single instant, and he was sorry. He hadn't meant to break her. He'd just wanted to prepare her for the future and the role he wanted her to take. He stroked her face tenderly.

"Lucy…" He whispered. "…don't be sad. You and I are going to save Humanity."

"Save them..?" She asked in a monotone as her dead eyes met his.

"Yes. I can't leave them alone here to die. The resources here will run out eventually. The universe WILL die. I can't abandon them now. They're not monsters. They're just children crying out in the darkness." He brushed a stray hair off her forehead. "They're our children, Lucy. The start of a new and shining future…"

"Not monsters…" She said, her eyes drifting to the valley as if pulled by a magnet.

"No…" He cooed, taking her back into his arms and rocking her gently.

"We're going to save them." She stated with a touch of awe creeping into her voice.

"Yes." He assured her sincerely. "We will save them. We'll give them a whole new world."

"Not monsters…" Lucy repeated into his shoulder, but her eyes stayed locked on the valley and its horrors. "Not monsters…" She half-whispered… as if she was desperate to make herself believe it.


End file.
